Love the media or hate it, newspapers, magazines, television and radio can be critical to the success of many businesses.
Yet, a survey of journalists across the country suggests that many companies do a poor job of articulating their positions, are evasive and seemingly adversarial.
“I sometimes think that people have watched too many 60 Minutes shows,” says Beth Diamond, managing partner of the Calgary office of National Public Relations, which conducted the survey.
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| Larry MacDougal, Business Edge |
| Beth Diamond of National Public Relatons coaches businesses on how to communicate effectively with journalists. |
Many companies mistakenly believe that all journalists are investigative in nature, trying to dig up dirt on a company, says Diamond. It’s simply not the case.
“Of the coverage that we work with clients to get . . . whether it’s a simple quarterly release, a launch of a new product, or part of an effort to educate the public, I’d say 99 per cent of the media coverage is absolutely fair.
“The media isn’t anywhere as cynical, or aggressive as a person might find in Toronto or New York. It’s a very gentle climate here (in Alberta).”
Diamond has been in the public-relations business in Calgary for 22 years. She joined National five years ago and runs a growing office staff of 16 employees.
The survey results, released late last year, were consistent with her experiences.
One hundred journalists nationwide were asked to rate the communication abilities of the country’s publicly traded and private companies, as well as government departments and non-profit organizations.
Overall, reporters gave organizations a passing grade (6.2 on a scale of 10) in dealing with the media. However, 85 per cent of journalists said jargon and poor writing in corporate communications interfered with their ability to do their jobs.
In Alberta, the poll showed that, on average, media outlets received 41 story pitches a day from organizations. Only 10 pitches were followed up.
The journalists offered many tips for companies wanting to build relations. They included:
* Understand how the medium works and what its specific needs are;
* Be honest;
* Keep press releases short and sweet, and be available for comment;
* Hire someone who knows how the media works. Get the most articulate, engaging and truthful person to represent your company;
* Make contacts, and know who to talk to;
* And publish a list of contact people before you really need it (e.g. put detailed info on your website about whom to contact.).
Diamond says the suggestions are simply about good manners, about understanding and respecting what journalists do.
As part of developing media relations plans for local businesses, it’s part of Diamond’s job to help businesses understand the media, to explain deadlines, appreciate nuances among media groups and to explain the differences between “news” and advertorials.
“A lot of businesses don’t understand the role of journalists, that it’s not their job to promote a company,” says Diamond.
She points out that most large companies do an excellent job of working with media. But many smaller organizations and start-ups don’t have the budgets to hire a full-time public relations person. Instead, someone assumes the role, and because of inexperience and time constraints, doesn’t do an adequate job.
“It’s an important function that takes time and skill,” says Diamond.
If a company can’t get its message out effectively to the media, its ability to raise its profile, raise funds or market a product can be seriously hindered.
“Companies that have good relationships with the media have better reputations, because they are seen to be more forthcoming, and more accessible and more reliable on all fronts,” says Diamond.
While companies have varying degrees of reliance upon the media, she suggests that almost all her clients require some media contact.
And those that have ongoing dealings with media should be working on a long-term relationship, she says.
As part of her work, Diamond helps companies develop those partnerships. The first step is to meet the journalist face to face, with no expectation of getting a front-page story the next day, says Diamond.
The meeting is a chance to get to know one another, to present a coherent, jargon-free piece of material about your company.
As the company changes and grows, it’s necessary to keep that journalist in the loop on real developments with factual explanations. The journalist can build a file, and has the necessary background if and when he or she writes a story.
Once that relationship is established, be careful to only send appropriate updates. “Don’t waste their time with irrelevant material,” says Diamond.
That kind of diligence pays many dividends. The journalist then has a good understanding of the company and is more likely to provide a more complete story.
At the same time, if your company finds itself in a crisis, you now have a connection you can trust to help get your side of the story out to the public.
Diamond also trains spokespeople to do interviews with media, teaching the kind of information and deadlines required.
For example, she explains that a radio reporter has to have the story “now,” and normally doesn’t require the detail or complexity that a print journalist does.
It’s the kind of information that many business people don’t understand, Diamond explains. If not handled properly, it can leave a bitter taste with the company.
“How many times have you heard: ‘They (the media) didn’t get any of the key points I said into the story,’ ” Diamond asks.
The fact is that in the majority of cases where something gets into the media that isn’t clear, it’s usually been the fault of the information provided, or the inability of the spokesperson to articulate the position, says Diamond.
“A journalist’s job is to be objective,” she says. “The easier you make it for them to understand the pitch, the issue, the deal, the more likely your message will get out.”
